Falls Changing Leaves: an IMMERSIVE main-stage production

Artwork by Andie Patterson

On the Community-Engaged Theatre study abroad program in Ireland last summer, a group of graduate and undergraduate students worked with one facilitator to write and perform an original full-length play in 48 hours. The play, devised “from the dust in the room” came to life and was performed in the Samuel Beckett Theatre on Trinity College’s campus in Dublin. The play was a success and garnered multiple positive reviews. Now, half a year later, those on the original team still in New York have revised, edited, and are re-mounting the project with a new cast and in a new space.

Like the group that wrote it, the play blends realism, magic, absurdity, and audience-interaction to create something wholly original. American culture, history, and family combines with Irish tradition, culture, and history in a blanket of mystery to tell a story about our roots and past, our daunting present, and the darkly bright future.

The Uproar Theatre Corps is proud to present its spring main stage production, Fall’s Changing Leaves, this April 11, 12, and 13. This original devised production was originally written and produced in the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Dublin, Ireland by Taylor Barnard, Moises Castro, Jack Dod, Declan Gorman, Brad Harris, Valerie Issembert, Kate Kearns, and Amy Pottinger. Now, it is making its North American debut with a revised script and new cast members.

Chronicling over two hundred years of the crann O’Riada, from the American Revolution to the the death of its current patriarch, “Fall’s Changing Leaves” is a drama about family, mystery, and how our past is just as rooted in us as our family tree is rooted in the earth. The action takes place at the wake of James Ryder, where the audience are mourners, and the cast of characters include a recently married lesbian couple with a troublesome two year old, a juvenile delinquent math whiz, a drunk pediatrician, a mysterious visitor, a very confused genealogist, and someone whose past and future are as muddled as the land from which he came.

The wake of James Ryder will be held April 11, 12, and 13 at 8pm in the Palladium Multipurpose Room, 140 E 14th St. As this is a wake, and James’s family is still in mourning, we ask that you wear black, but please do be prepared to celebrate James’s life.

Artistic Leadership Brunch: EXCERPT

LINK: Artistic Leadership Brunch excerpt

Above is a link to a partial recording of what happened at the Artistic Leadership Brunch on February 2nd.  Enjoy uproarians!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back Rabble Rousers!

Check out the 'Uproar: Save the Date' page and check in with us - we've got some really exciting events coming up ahead.

Our first Rabble Rousers meeting is just around the corner, on February 1st, so come on down and join us.

And on Saturday, February 2nd, be sure to join us for the Artistic Leadership Brunch, featuring artistic directors and staff from several successful NYC companies. We will be discussing the logistics of starting and running theatre companies over a bagel brunch!

Have you signed up for the Will You Be Mine: 1-5 Minute Play Festival? No? Then you should.  Our prompt, in light of Valentine's Day, is Fetishes, Fornication, and Falling in Love. If that doesn't grab your attention, then we don't know what will.

We'll keep you posted on all our events coming up.  Also, if you haven't already, like and check out our facebook group!

Uproar: Red, Write, & Blue - A Success!

On November 7th, Uproar Theatre Corps hosted our 3rd 1-5 Minute Play Festival since our foundation as a club in September 2011.  

This year, we did a few things differently - we added an Assistant Director, we decided to take on the Palladium Multi-Purpose Room, and we put it together in only 3 days!  But a giant thanks to our actors and our artistic team for making that possible.  Hurricane Sandy had a huge effect on everything on campus, but everyone pulled through nicely and fiercely, and made the reading great!  We had an excellent turnout - at least 40 people came and showed their support for friends and colleagues.  Past Uproar members and graduates came, as well many members in the Educational Theatre, and even friends outside the community.  The show wouldn't have been possible without our superb audience!

Rabble Rousers perform Jenna Briedis's play NEITHER.

Daryl Embry, our director, and Sarah Chichester, the assistant director, went above and beyond with each and every play - making them all enjoyable, entertaining, and frankly, hilarious.

Our actors took their direction and went with the flow, while also making their own wonderful choices.  They were all fun to watch, great to work with, and just fantastic people.

But we couldn't have done it without the playwrights, who wrote some super funny, meaningful, and quirky plays that we couldn't take our eyes off of.

And a big thanks to Amy Cordileone, our faculty advisor; the Upboard, for pulling it all together; the Steinhardt USG, Dean Mary Brabeck, and Justine M. Kelly-Fierro for making this all possible.

And a special thanks to Andie Patterson for making all the Uproar graphics.

In case you missed it, or just want a reminder of what you saw, here it is! (And for some BIG-UPs, answer the trivia questions about the plays on Twitter @UPROARtheatre if you were there!)

You've Got to Go by Marco Santarelli
featuring Luke Doyle, Emily Kugel, Mel Ridgway, Spiro Tzakis, and Dan Walsh
--An office comedy in which the employees need to vote someone out of the office.  Who got fired?

Neither by Jenna Briedis
featuring Jessie Delgado, Luke Doyle, and Anne Lieberson
--Ben and Jerry have two new ice cream flavors to test out.  Which one did Jane pick?

When the Sun Goes Out by Charlie Wright
featuring Jessie Delgado, Luke Doyle, Mel Ridgway, Robert Stevenson, Spiro Tzakis, and Dan Walsh
--A coffee house poetry competition, and a poet who just isn't fully appreciated in his gay-crazed community.  What does Phil ultimately decide to do?

A Forever Changed World by Jamie Lerner
featuring Emily Kugel
--A courtroom drama about figuring out which pickles belong in the worldwide pickle family.  Which pickles were picked?

I Voted for the Queen by Andrew Anzel
featuring Jessie Delgado, Robert Stevenson, Spiro Tzakis, and Dan Walsh
--A high school boy's journal entry about his encounter with the lovely and beautiful Katrina Von Tassle.  What actually happens when he talks to her?

Undecided by Jack Dod
featuring Luke Doyle, Emily Kugel, Anne Lieberson, Robert Stevenson, Spiro Tzakis, and Dan Walsh
--The voting officials are counting up the votes, and no one has voted for Obama or Romney!  There aren't even any real people on the ballot.  So who became President of the United States?

Hosting a Professional Reading

Jeff Binder and "students" reading a scene.

On Saturday, October 20th, Uproar had the honor of hosting a reading for Ian Mairs' play, The Learning Curve.  It was a full-length, two act play about a man who got thrown into teaching, not really knowing which direction to take or choices to make.  He fell into a job in a Creative Writing class full of students with various personalities.  

The reading featured many notable actors, including Jeff Binder (NYU alum, B'way: The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and more) as the leading man, and Michael Emerson (Lost, The Practice, and more) as his mentor.  Up and comer, Mason Lee (NYU alum, The Hangover, Pt. II) played one of the students in the creative writing classroom.

But my experience went beyond just watching the reading.  I arrived at the Palladium Multi-Purpose Room at 11:30am, ready to start the day of rehearsal and performance.  When the actors started arriving, the director, another notable figure, Sean Daniels, got together food and water for the actors.

He then made sure they all had scripts, talked about the process of the day, and asked Ian if he had anything to add.  Ian didn't say much, but just that the actors should "play the comedy of it, not the tragedy.  It is a comedy."

Michael Emerson (left) and Jeff Binder, performing a scene.

And then the actors began to read.  A few times, Sean would say, 'Okay, let's do that again, and this time...', but for the most part, he just allowed them to read, and would afterwards give each actor a note that they needed to remember for the reading.

It was acting under pressure, but Sean did everything he could to make it a relaxed setting - it didn't feel high pressure on my end, but that's because the group of people was so fun, chill, and talented.

The reading was a huge success.  The audience responded really positively, and both Sean and Ian seemed extremely thrilled with it.  After the reading, many audience members (an invited audience) and the cast was invited to a fancy/swanky after party.

One day, I'm sure all us Uproarians will be going to fancy/swanky after parties too!

The four "students" in the classroom.

Michael Emerson, Jeff Binder and More Set for Industry Reading of THE LEARNING CURVE, 10/20

Michael Emerson, Jeff Binder and More Set for Industry Reading of THE LEARNING CURVE, 10/20

What's Next Uproar?

So far this year, we found Nan. And that is a BIG success. But there's still chances for more BIG-ups! So come rouse at our next Rabble Rousers meeting on Oct. 5 in the Third Floor Lounge of Pless at 6pm!